Elections and voting: When Is Partisan Gerrymandering Unconstitutional?

Vieth v. Jubelirer, reviewing Vieth v. Pennsylvania, 241 F. Supp. 2d 478 (M.D.Pa. 2003)
This case concerns a challenge to a congressional redistricting plan in Pennsylvania that was adopted by Republicans largely to increase the number of districts favorable to Republican candidates. The lower court ruled that such partisan gerrymandering did not violate the Constitution, and the Supreme Court agreed to review the decision. Although the Court may resolve the controversy on narrow grounds, some observers have suggested that the case provides an opportunity for the Court to rule more broadly on the propriety of the use of partisan politics in redistricting decisions, an increasingly controversial issue.